This invention is directed to a novel improvement upon a bending apparatus, and more particularly is directed to a novel improvement upon a U-bolt bender.
U-bolts have many uses. Certain of these uses require that the legs of the U-bolt be substantially parallel. One such use of a U-bolt having substantially parallel legs is for fastening leaf springs to rear axles of vehicles. The nature of such a use often demands that the U-bolt be made of a suitably tough, resilient and springy material.
Use of such a springy material for the manufacture of a U-bolt presents a major problem. Most U-bolts start out being a straight or substantially straight piece or length of bar stock which is later urged into the shape of a U, the legs of the U generally being urged initially into parallel orientation, one leg to the other.
Because of the springy nature of the bolt material, the legs of the U-bolt tend to spread out (slightly) immediately after the U has been formed. Upon such spreading of the legs of the U-bolt, after forming, the legs generally tend to orient ultimately in somewhat anti-parallel orientation in relation to each other. This is generally unacceptable in commercial applications where such legs must be in substantially parallel orientation to each other.